Push for heritage tourism

After the Palace on Wheels and rural tourism, it's now heritage tourism, again. Making renewed efforts to promote heritage tourism, the Rajasthan government has decided to identify more heritage properties in the state.

According to official statistics, every third tourist coming to India prefers to visit Rajasthan. With the growing tourism industry and the constant demand for new tourist sites, the heritage hotel concept struck root in the state.

Within a couple of years, not only have heritage hotels risen substantially in number, but also bookings are done well in advance. Dressed almost always in traditional turbans and dhotis, the old family retainers have the same care and hospitality for the tourists as they do for the guests.

"We are looking for heritage properties and we might also grant approval for running hotels in these heritage properties," a senior official of the tourism department said. "So far we have identified 38 heritage properties in the state," he said.

Sources in the department say the identified properties would be developed on a public-private partnership basis into hotels and guesthouses. All the information in this regard would be provided to various industrialists and investors willing to invest in the state.

The identified places would be included in the directory with updated information. The owners of the heritage properties would have to provide detailed information about their properties and its surroundings.

The information should also include the number of rooms available and the distance of the property from bus stand/railway station/airport.

Most of the palaces here are still being used by the erstwhile royal families and a few have sections converted into museums and hotels, allowing the tourist a glimpse into the lavish opulence, part of the regal lifestyle.

Around 15 hotels operate in various heritage properties in the Mewar circuit, which include places like Udaipur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh and Bhilwara.